Disposable plastic bag for hot or cold substances



April 1966 s: CLAIQIZIO 3,244,210

DISPOSABLE PLASTIC BAG FOR HOT OR COLD SUBSTANCES Filed Dec. 28, 1 962 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 674 00/270 CVar/zz'o A TTOR DISPOSABLE PLASTIC BAG FOR HOT OR COLD SUBSTANCES Filed Dec. 28, 1962 G. CLARIZIO April 5, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVE NTOR. (Var/Z40 @daoama A A TTOR Aprll 5, 1966 G. CLARIZIO 3,244,210

DISPOSABLE PLASTIC BAG FOR HOT 0R COLD SUBSTANCES Filed Dec. 28, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR GZQ coma [74/1210 United States Patent Yor Filed Dec. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 248,097 8 Claims. (Cl. ISO-2.2)

This invention relates to improvements in a disposable plastic bag for hot or cold substances, and also to a method of making the bag, and more particularly to a bag of thermoplastic film or sheet material having numerous uses, as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

In the past, many and various types of bags and containers made of thermoplastic films or sheets have been provided, but for various reasons, including lack of strength, inability to be closed properly or quickly without the aid of mechanism, insufiiciently versatile for a number of uses, among others, and in many cases formerly known bags of this character were economically unacceptable.

It is accordingly an important object of the instant invention to provide a bag made of thermoplastic film or sheet material that will function either as a hot water bag or as an ice bag, wherefore the invention is highly desirable for use in hospitals, clinics, dentists ofiices, and

similar locations.

It is a further feature of this invention to provide a bag of the type just above mentioned that is made sufficiently economical to warrant its disposition after a single usage in hospitals and similar locations.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a bag made of thermoplastic film or sheet material and so shaped that it may readily and easily be filled either with a liquid or solid substance and securely sealed against leakage in a simple manner by hand, much easier and quicker than the commonly known hot water and ice bags may be filled and closed.

It is also a desideratum of this invention to provide a plastic bag which, while having multiple layer or thickness walls, is made of one single piece of sheet material.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a relatively thin plastic bag provided with apertured ears on opposite sides thereof whereby the bag may be provided with a tape or cord for attaching the bag to the body of a patient.

It is also a feature of this invention 'to provide a simple and economical method of making a plastic bag, and wherein the same apparatus may be utilized in the same way, without adjustment, to make bags of different sizes.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantages of the instant invention have been above pointed out, others will become apparent from the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view illustrating one use of the instant invention;

FIGURE '2 is a similar view illustrating another use of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic fragmentary view illustrating a different use of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view, with a portion broken away, illustrating still another usage of this invention;

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FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a piece of stock of indefinite length from which the bags are successively severed;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view illustrating a method of making the bags;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary view similar to FIGURE 6, illustrating the making of a slightly different form of the invention;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the neck of a bag, illustrating how the same is closed after the bag its partially filled;

FIGURE 9 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary vertical section through a finished bag, taken substantially as indicated by the line IX-IX of FIGURE 6, looking in the direction of the arrow;

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary elevational view of a bag embodying principles of this invention; showing a different means for closing the bag;

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary view :of the bag of FIG- URE 10, showing the same closed;

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary vertical section through another form of the instant invention;

FIGURE 13 is an elevational view of the bag of FIG- URE 12;

FIGURE 14 is a fragmentary plan view of a piece of fiat sheet stock from which bags embodying the instant invention may be formed;

FIGURE 15 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating :the first fold in the stock of FIGURE 14;

FIGURE 16 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the second fold and how bags are made therefrom;

FIGURE 17 is a fragmentary magnified vertical sectional view taken substantially as indicated by the line XVIIXVII of FIGURE 16; and

FIGURE 18 is a fragmentary front view illustrating a difierent method of closing the bag from the showing in FIGURE 16.

As shown on the drawings:

The instant invention has a multitude of uses, far too many to list herein, but such uses will be apparent to one skilled in the art. By way of example, in FIGURE 1 there is shown the head 1 of a patient upon which a bag 2 embodying principles of the instant invention is in use as an ice bag. In this instance, the bag is in the form provided with an apertured tab or ear 3 on each side thereof whereby the bag may readily be held in position by a cord 4.

In FIGURE 2, another patient 5 is shown partially reclined with the head resting upon the headrest 6 of a dental chair or the like. A bag 2 held by a cord 4 is disposed over the patients mouth, and here again the bag is used to establish an ice pack. The invention is particularly desirable for such usage, especially immediately after tooth extraction.

In FIGURE 3 a reclining patient 7 is shown with a bag 2, this time functioning as a hot water bottle, applied to the abdomen. i

In FIGURE 4 there is shown a carton 8 containing a number of bags 9, these being the form seen in FIG- URES 10 and 11, serving as canteens for the storage or transportation of substantially any desired commodity. Such arrangement is economical since the weight of the container alone is extremely small so that its vaddition to the cost of transportation would be negligible, and the containers need not be brought back. t

The instant invention would also have numerous household usages such as refrigerator storage of edibles, carrying drinks to picnics, and in many other ways where a water-tight bag or container is desirable, in addition to the hospital or clinic uses previously mentioned which could also be performed in the home. The container is made with either of two different closures, one of which is diflicult to open but more economical, and that would preferably be used on the containers where they are used but once, and the other type of closure is very easily opened and might be provided on bags for home usage, where it might be desirable to use the bag more than once.

As seen in FIGURES 6 and 7, each bag when made comprises a substantially rectangular body part 10 with a relatively long neck 11 projecting from one side and defining the entrance passage to the bag. As indicated by numeral 12, one side of the neck extends outwardly a short distance beyond the other to render it easy to fill the bag.

The bag is preferably made of thermoplastic film or sheet material such as polyethylene, rubber hydrochloride, vinyl, or any other suitable thermoplastic and heat scalable film or sheet material. Such material comprises the aforesaid body and neck of the bag. Although the sides of the bag are multi-ply for added strength and safety, the bag body and neck comprises only a single piece of material.

In forming the bag the thermoplastic material may be initially made or purchased in tubular form and of indefinite length. A tube 13 of the material is illustrated in FIGURE 5, shown expanded to indicate the tubular form. However the tube is flattened and folded in an intermediate region as indicated at 14, and this fold is so disposed that one flap terminates short of the edge on the other flap a distance sufficient to provide the extension 12 on one side of the neck, as seen in FIGURE 6 When the'tube is so folded, with reference to FIGURE 9 it will be seen that one side of the bag body comprises sheets or plies 15 and 16, and the other side comprises sheets or plies 1'7 and 18. The bottom edge of the bag is formed by the fold line 14, and it will be noted that each of the body sides is defined across the neck region by a fold rather than raw edges secured together as indicated at 19 and 20 in FIGURE 9. The side edges of the bag are in the form of a heat seal seam which unites all four plies of material. With reference to FIGURE 6, the heat seal seam extends along the body part 10 as indicated at 21, then partially across the top edge of the body part'as at 22, and then outwardly along one side of the neck as indicated at 23. There is an allochiral seam on the other edge of the bag, and, of course, there is no closure made across the neck, that being openended for filling and emptying the contents from the bag.

In the manufacture of the bags, an endless stock tube folded as shown in FIGURE 6 may be fed along over a flat plate electrode of a high frequency electronic heat sealing press, any suitable buffer being used beneath the folded tube, if desired.

An upper die is used in the press and is shaped in accordance with the shape of the article being produced and the heat sealing edge is generally in the form of a knifeedge so that when the die is pressed downwardly upon the folded plastic tube and energized, both a heat and tear seal seam is made whereby the finished article is readily stripped from the waste stock.

The upper heat and tear sealing die may have two spaced workingedges thereon to define both side seams of a single bag; or the die may have a working edge shaped in accordance with the space between two adjacent bags and a single straight knife edge which simultaneously makes a heat and tear seal seam common to a leading and trailing bag. In this latter instance, the die would form the trailing side of a leading bag and at the same time form the leading side of the trailing bag. The process is substantially continuous, the upper die moving upwardly and downwardly in timed relationship to the intermittent travel of the folded tube, and the bags would be successively produced one after the other. The waste stock is the portion between adjacent bag necks, as indicated at 24 in FIGURE 6, and possibly a narrow transverse strip between adjacent bag edges if it is deemed better to leave a slight space between the side edges of adjacent bags to overcome any variances in timing, feed ing of the folded tube, and the like.

By adding a small curvate heat and tear sealing addition to the die, the aforesaid projecting ear or tab 3 apertured as at 25 may be provided on each side edge 21 of a bag. This tab may be utilized with a cord or band 4 as explained previously to hold the bag in position when in use. The tab will be of four thicknesses or plies if each side of the bag is two ply, as seen in FIGURE 9, and accordingly the tab will be of sufiicient strength for its purpose.

It should be especially noted that in forming the bags, the same die mechanism may be utilized for bags of different depths but of the same width. The next size for all bags of the same width would be the same. However, as indicated by the dotted lines 26 and 27 bags of different depth may be provided by the same die. For example, a bag having a body 8 inches by 11 inches requires a plastic tube 23 inches in diameter; a bag having a body part 5 inches by 11 inches requires a tube 18 inches in diameter; and a bag having a body 3 inches by 11 inches requires a 14 inch diameter tube. The tubes are folded and placed exactly alike to form the neck, but the folded tubes may terminate as indicated by the dotted lines 26 and 27, and the die will extend entirely across them.

contemporaneously with the heat and tear sealing of the bags, or after the bags have been separated from the waste stock, if desired, a small strip of double faced adhesive tape 28, covered on one side by a removable facing sheet 29, as seen in FIGURE 8 is stuck to the bag by the inner face of the strip at the base of the neck, on one side of the bag only. When the bag is put to use and filled to the desired extent, it is closed by folding the neck along the dotted line 30 bringing the outer edge of the neck down to a point immediately adjacent the adhesive strip. Then a second fold is made along the dotted line 31, and finally a third fold at the dotted line 32. The facing strip 29 is next removed and the triply folded neck portion is rolled over and pressed firmly upon the exposed adhesive face of the strip 28. When so closed, the bag is completely liquid-proof and will withstand rough handling to a degree far more than necessary for hgspital usage or careless handling, dropping, and the li e.

In FIGURES 10 and 11 a slightly different form of closure for the bag is illustrated. This type of closure is easier to open than the one described above, and is particularly desirable when the bag is to be used as a canteen or the like or for food storage in the home, where the bag might be used repeatedly. In this instance, a strip 33 of any suitable material, a plastic strip of substantial thickness and strength being highly satisfactory, is fused or cemented to the extended portion of the neck 12 above the fold 19, and the strip projects beyond each side of the bag neck. On one projecting end of the strip is a female snap fastener element 3 and on the opposite end of the strip is the complemental male element 35. When a bag of this type is closed, it is a simple expedient to in effect roll upthe bag neck 'by folding the neck over and over about the strip 33, and when the neck reaches the bag body the snap fasteners are brought together and closed. With this arrangement, the closed strip 33 may be used as a handle to pick up the bag by inserting a finger or two inside the end portions of the strip after they are closed. It is a simple expedient to unsnap the ends of the strip, unwind the neck of the bag, and it is open ready for emptying of the contents.

While the temperature of hot contents may generally be felt through the bag and so there is no danger of the bag being used as a hot water bottle and applied at too high a temperature, it is frequently desired to leave a hot application applied for a relatively long period of time. It may be desirable therefore to wrap a towel around the bag so that it may be applied to the patients body a little warmer than usual and so that it will retain the heat for a longer time.

With this in mind it may be desirable at times to have the instant invention covered with an economical heat insulating cover. To this end, as seen in FIGURES l2 and 13 a single layer of covering 36 may be folded around the lower portion of the bag beneath the neck, covering both sides of the bag. This covering 36 may be imitation chamois, but is preferably an economical laminated sheet of material made up of gossamer thin sheets of cellucotton pressed together. Any suitable method of attachment to the bag may be relied upon, pressure of the heat sealing die alone being satisfactory in most cases.

In FIGURES 14 to 18 inclusive, I have illustrated a method of making the same bag as above described with both forms of closing means by folding a single fiat sheet of stock and heat and tear sealing bags from the folded sheet.

In this instance, a flat sheet or strip 37 of the same thermoplastic material and of indefinite length is first folded longitudinally along an imaginary line indicated at 38, which is the center line of the strip. Such fold provides the structure seen in FIGURE 15 and thereafter the already folded strip is again folded along an imaginary line 39 which is not the center line, but sufficiently to one side of the center line to provide an extended margin 40, as seen in FIGURE 16, which provides the aforesaid extension 12 on one multi-ply wall of the bag neck 11. This, of course, leaves the lower multi-ply wall of the bag open at the top or at the end of the neck, and the plies of this wall must be closed at that point.

This requires an additional transverse edge on the heat and tear sealing die to close the plies of the rear panel or side of the bag across the bag neck by providing a heat seal seam 41 as shown in FIGURES 16 and 17 at that point. Regardless of the shape of the die, either of the shapes above described, it is a simple expedient to place this horizontal knife edge portion additionally upon the die to acquire the seam 41. The marginal portion 49, in this instance, is wider than the space 12 on the neck, as seen in FIGURE 16, to provide adequate room for the establishment of the seam 41 without danger of any disruption in that seam. The resulting bag, therefore, is identical with the bag previously described with the exception of the seam 41, the front multi-ply panel of the bag being closed at the top by the first fold at 38, and the bottom of the bag is closed by the fold at 39.

In one form of closure, it is a simple expedient to apply the aforesaid double faced strip of adhesive tape 28 at the base of the neck, as above described. Or if the other form of closure is desired, it is a simple expedient to provide the aforesaid strip 33 carrying the complemental snap fastening elements 34 and 35 thereon to the projecting part 12 0f the rear multi-ply bag wall. This may be done in the manner previously described and functions in the same way.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I have provided a simple, easy to use, and economical plastic container or bag for hot or cold liquid or solid substances, a bag of numerous uses. It will be noted that the bag has multiply walls, which can be increased if desired by merely adding another piece or other pieces of stock as desired. The bag is safe, liquid-tight and the multi-ply walls enable the bag to still retain its contents should the outer ply .become ruptured.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a multi-ply plastic sheet bag,

a single tubular sheet of thermoplastic material collapsed into flat multi-ply relation and folded to deline a bag body portion having front and back faces and having portions cut out at its sides defining an open-ended neck extending therefrom, a heat seal seam defining a closed edge at each side of the bag including the sides of the neck, the top portion of the body of each side of the neck and the side edges of the body,

at least one end edge of the neck and the bottom of the body being defined only by a respective multi-ply fold in the flattened tubular sheet, the front and back faces of the bag being multiply and the heat seal seam uniting all plies together throughout the length of each seam.

2. A multi-ply plastic sheet bag as defined in claim 1, in which the tubular sheet comprises tubular sheet stock and both end edges at the neck comprise respective multi ply folds in the flattened tubular sheet.

3. A multi-ply plastic sheet bag as defined in claim 1 in which one of the end edges at the neck comprises a multi-ply fold in the flattened tubular sheet, and the re maining end edge at the neck is a heat seal seam which unites the plies at such edge and joins the heat seal seams at the sides of the neck.

4. A multi-ply plastic sheet bag as defined in claim 1, in which one of the multi-ply faces of said neck extends outwardly at the top beyond the other multi-ply face of the neck to facilitate filling of the bag, and the neck having closure means associated therewith to close the opening from the neck to render the bag liquid tight after filling.

5. A multi-ply plastic sheet bag as defined in claim 1, including a strip of double-faced adhesive tape adhered to the bag body at the base of the neck to receive the neck folded down to close the bag liquid tight.

6. The method of making a multi-ply plastic sheet bag, including the steps of:

collapsing a single sheet of thin thermoplastic material into multi-ply relation and defining a multiply fold along at least one edge of the collapsed sheet,

folding the collapsed sheet along a fold line to place said multi-ply edge fold adjacent to the opposite edge of the collapsed multi-ply sheet and thereby defining a bag-bottom multi-ply fold along said fold line,

heat and tear seal seaming the multi-ply collapsed and folded sheet along lines between said multi-ply bagbottom fold and said adjacent edges to define a bag body portion and an open-ended neck comprising cutting out portions of the collapsed and folded sheet adjacent to said edges at each side of the neck, and

with the heat seal seams closing the edges at each side of the bag including the sides of the neck and top portion of the body at each side of the neck and uniting all plies together throughout the length of each seam.

7. The method of claim '6, comprising providing a tubular stock strip to afford the single sheet, and collapsing such tubular stock strip to provide multi-ply folds along both of the edges of the collapsed strip which folds are then, by said folding along said fold line, brou ht into adjacency, so that both end edges at the finished neck of the bag comprise respective double-ply folds.

8. The method according to claim 6, comprising collapsing a single ply flat sheet strip by folding the same double to provide said multi-ply one edge, and heat seal seaming and joining the pieces along said opposite edge to afford a collapsed tubular sheet, whereby both end edges at said neck are fully closed in the finished bag.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Slezak.

Carter 150-2.6 Pyle 1502.6 Carpenter 150-1 Madsen 1502.1 10 Ashrnan.

Bryce 22957 X 1/1954 Klein 150-2.1

7/1957 Hurt 1502.1 11/ 1958 =Fa1tin 229-53 12/1958 Allenbach 1502.1

4/ 1961 Frechtrnann 22953 4/1962 Hubl 1502.1

9/1963 Stone 22962 FOREIGN PATENTS 1/ 1952 Switzerland. 5/ 1961 Switzerland.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A MULTI-PLY PLASTIC BAG, A SINGLE TUBULAR SHEET OF THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL COLLAPSED INTO FLAT MULTI-PLY RELATION AND FOLDED TO DEFINE A BAG BODY PORTION HAVING FRONT AND BACK FACES AND HAVING PORTIONS CUT OUT AT ITS SIDES DEFINING AN OPEN-ENDED NECK EXTENDING THEREFROM, A HEAT SEAL SEAM DEFINING A CLOSED EDGE AT EACH SIDE OF THE BAG INCLUDING THE SIDES OF THE NECK, THE TOP PORTION OF THE BODY OF EACH SIDE OF THE NECK AND THE SIDE EDGES OF THE BODY, AT LEAST ONE END EDGE OF THE NECK AND THE BOTTOM OF THE BODY BEING DEFINED ONLY BY A RESPECTIVE MULTI-PLY FOLD IN THE FLATTENED TUBULAR SHEET, THE FRONT AND BACK FACES OF THE BAG BEING MULTIPLY AND THE HEAT SEAL SEAM UNITING ALL PLIES TOGETHER THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF EACH SEAM. 